The present invention relates to an electric supply ramp for current-consuming devices such as illuminating systems.
A known electric feed ramp employs a succession of pairs of electric contacts intended to receive a current-consuming element. Such electric feed ramp includes metallic conductive strips with protrusions forming the electric contacts and passing through slots provided in an insulating support.
Swiss Patent 599,501 describes an illuminating ramp having a support with wings that form an angle of 90.degree. with each other Metal strips are mounted on the inner surfaces of the wings. Such metal strips comprise L-shaped clips fastened alternately in pairs at predetermined distances on one and the other of the metal strips in order to hold the lamps mounted along the axis of the profile.
From Swiss Patent 652,537 the possibility is known of replacing the L-shaped clips by tabs which are cut out in the direction of the strip and folded 90.degree., the end of the tab having a hole intended to position an electric contact of a current-consuming element. The metal strips are fastened on the wings by means of rivets.
The present invention is directed to simplifying the mounting of the components of the known illuminating ramps and, in one form, comprises an illuminating ramp having a succession of pairs of electric contacts including at least two conductive strips having at predetermined distances plates arranged at 90.degree.. The free ends of such plates are arranged in such a manner as to position, at least indirectly, an electric contact of a current-consuming element.
The invention is characterized by the fact that the conductive strips are superimposed and are each covered by an insulating body, and by the fact that the conductive strips and the insulating bodies have openings for the passage of the plates of strips arranged below.
In the first embodiment, an intermediate insulating body in the form of a flat strip is arranged between two superimposed strips, while the upper insulating body is formed of a support that has a longitudinal cutout limited by protection wings and intended to receive the conductive strips and the intermediate insulating body (or bodies). This support, furthermore, has transverse slots for the passage of the contact plates.
In a preferred variant, the insulating support comprises, on its outer face, cylindrical recesses adapted to create reflection surfaces.
In another preferred embodiment, the insulating body consists of a covering applied to each metallic strip, with the exception of the contact plates.
One possible embodiment involves each plate having a U-shaped cut defining a tab connected to said plate and adapted to be deformed in such a manner that its free edge cooperates with the face of the insulating support.